In the Big Park

Today’s objective (as tho’ the day needed an objective) was to finally explore the National War Memorial Gardens and Phoenix Park. Bottomline: It’s a really, freakin’ enormous park. We already knew it was the largest walled park in the world, but the scale is not really appreciable until move about its extents under your own steam. It’s a rustic park for most parts – thankfully the more rustic, the more quiet and peaceful. The smell is delicious. I rode placidly appreciating the views of distant villages, across vista’s entirely within the parkspace itself and occassional glimpses out of the greenery and off in the distance towards the cranes in Dublin. Parts of the park are more developed than others – near the Aras an Uachtaran (the President’s House) is very ceremonial, where the Ordinance Survey offices are tucked unobtrusivelly into a forest nook. The around the Wellington Monument was crawling with people. Apparently it was Septemberfest and Some sort of Soccerfest as well. There was a cricket tourney all coexisting within a mere corner of the park. The Dublin Zoo (also a constituent part of the park) was busy with families coming and going.

The National War Memorial gardens were the polar opposite. Its also a substantial park, but it’s somber and respectful (as it should be) the hilly grounds very much a manicured space festooned with ruiney-looking monuments. Respect and reverance. On the downside I swam back in the pouring rain. Well, at least the larger portion of the day was dry. Quite the change from yesterday, the sunburn effects of which I can still feel